


Life happens (coffee helps)

by Maria_and_her_books



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Coffee, Finding Oneself, M/M, Slow Burn, Slowly healing, and starting over, or no coffee, that is the question
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-27 13:05:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19013485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maria_and_her_books/pseuds/Maria_and_her_books
Summary: Is it about coffee? Is it a metaphor for the stages of grief and healing? Who knows? Five sure doesn't.





	Life happens (coffee helps)

**Februari. Coffee, black, cold.**

He'd taken his target's coffee, simple as that. And because the man missed his caffeine he wasn't properly awake. So he missed that the two teens snuck out of his shop with a bottle of vodka. And he didn't go after them. He wasn't stabbed. He got home that evening to his young son, who'd now take over the family business instead of becoming a taxi-driver who made too many hours on too little sleep, thus killing a certain person. 

Pretty straightforward.

And while he laid out the facts of this simple first mission to the woman who called herself The Handler, his own coffee grew cold. Not that it mattered to him, he'd never had coffee before, he'd just feigned a confident indifferent front, while accepting the unfamiliar beverage.  
He didn't know how it was supposed to taste. 

Like a cold and bitter blessing apparently.

 

**March 28th. Matcha Latte**

The first coffee he swiped from one of his siblings was Allison's. The day had gone from bad to worse (twice) and he needed something, anything to sooth his frazzled nerves and fuel his failing body.

He wasn't sure if coffee was supposed to be green and have a bitter grassy flavour

In the grand scheme of the chaos that was his life, he filed his apprehension as inconsequential. 

They would probably be dead in three days anyway.

The caffeine and sugar of the overly sweetened drink were just what he needed to keep him going for a little longer. 

It tasted odd. 

It tasted like the gods' nectar, or was it ambrosia the drinks were called? His spinning frantic mind didn't know. _"...I am death...I eat ambrosia and drink blood...",_ wasn't that how the phrase went?

It seemed fitting with an imminent apocalypse.

 

**April. Coffee, black, three sugars**

Diego drank his coffee, unsurprisingly, black. 

Five took it from him distractedly, ignoring his brother's displeased words, his mind focused on his equations. 

But the unexpected cloying sweetness that hid in the darkness hit Five, suddenly piercing his heart with the finest blade of realization. 

He could afford to pay attention to other things now.

For decades part of his mind had always desperately, hopelessly been centered on his equations. 

He'd lived his life in waiting. Never really daring to believe that he'd make it back to his family, never really daring to face his loss. It would have shattered him beyond repair, beyond coming back.

But here he was. Home. Not completely, still parts of him lost, still in the dark.

He could, should focus on this life, his present life, his unexpected new chance.

He did not know how to live this bittersweet life. 

 

**May. Tea, chamomile**

Vanya had become her own soothing, placating presence once more. Her face serene as she was lost in her music. Calming like the abandoned mug of tea at her elbow that was slowly cooling. 

Five took it, sipping the drink while a storm raged in him. He was lost at sea, no compass, no horizon. Washed out and beaten, looking for a harbor, an anchor.

He was drowning in the pretense of being fine. 

And finally he dared to admitted that he was adrift, exhausted by his solitary struggle

He was not getting anywhere. 

He needed help. 

Or he would never surface.

Never heal.

 

**June. Coffee, decaf**

He'd drank the whole pot of coffee Luther had made, leaving none for the man himself. But whereas his usual relief energized him, this time he felt listless. Grouchy, tired, slouching at the kitchen-table. Lethargic he looked up as Klaus waltzed in, Klaus' usual cheer more subdued but more genuine these days. His green eyes sadder but clear and observant.

Green eyes that noted his inertia, his stillness. Took in the mug in his hand and the empty pot of coffee. 

"Still no decent cup of coffee to be found 'round here huh?", the words were playful but the tone soft and serious. Five shrugged and dully watched the seance putter around for some times, not really registering what the other man was doing.

The tiniest of cups was set in front of him with a flourish, and with a wink Klaus nodded at him, "This will make you feel better."

Wary, but in no mood to voice any question he might have had Five downed the thing in one go.

Apparently it contained life itself; energizing and tingling as flowed through his veins. He couldn't help but moan contentedly as the rush flooded through his system. 

His rebooting brain registered Klaus' wide-eyed flustered look and briefly Five worried whether he'd had to savour the drink or something. What did he know about coffee etiquette after all? 

But then the high seriously hit and he didn't resurface from the bliss of ideas and theories to be tested for hours.

And only then briefly to research the do's and don'ts of espresso-shots.

 

**July. Caffé mocha**

Five had taken note of the fact that Klaus clearly knew some things about coffee and so Five started to watch Klaus more closely. 

Waiting for a distracted moment which would allow him to take the man's coffee for himself. 

Moment which there were surprisingly few of. 

Sweet guileless eyes hid a watchful perceptiveness. The cunning sharpness under that disguisingly lighthearted exterior surprised Five at first. 

And then intrigued him.

When he finally got a taste of Klaus' coffee it turned out to be a perfect mix between bitter and sweet.

Dark, rich flavours topped with light and fluffy foam.

 

**August. Frappuccino**

And then Five discovered that Klaus' variated his coffee orders, seemingly adapted them randomly to suit his mood, or complement the season, or harmonize with whatever song was currently stuck in his head.

Five watched and wondered and tried to predict his order. And learned that the world of coffee was something he knew very little about and could only be properly researched by trial and error, plain old scientific experimentation. 

\-----

Grimacing he plucked the drink out of Klaus' hand, swapping it for his own cup. The cold and condensation of Klaus' blend he now held a contrast to the heat of his own brew.

He'd determined that he preferred caffeinated sweetness to the sharp, almost bitter pure tastes.

A feeling of contentment with each sip of this balmy refreshment, soothing his senses ,even as the heat of the air against his skin evoked jarring horrifying memories of decades alone in an apocalyptic wasteland. 

The warmth of the sun on a summers-day eclipsed by the flickering light in his heart which slowly grew into a steady burning hope. 

 

**September 3th. Latte**

Even amidst the chaos of those first few days, preoccupied with the impending end of "some things", Five had recognized the recent trauma Klaus' had tried to hide when returning from the past stained in blood. Tattoo, dog tags. Vietnam. It wasn't the hardest of deductions. 

And now, with the 50th anniversary of the death of Ho Chi Minh spread across all papers Klaus was... withdrawn. 

Quiet, a sad smile on his face and a far away look in his eyes he wandered through the house, seemingly futily searching for one beloved face amongst the number of ghosts that haunted him every waking hour.

Five thought about love, loss, death. Never again seeing one one could not live without, could not have survived without in times of hardship. The one person who made living in a world that was filled with horror and darkness bearable.

It was easy to find a bar that made coffee art next, the request for a heart and a name easily granted.   
An ordinary drink made special, simply because the pleased the eye of the beholder saw beauty where others saw plainness.

It was hard to set that cup in front of Klaus, even harder to sit down opposite him, meeting his eyes. Those gentle curious eyes which were bright with unshed tears. 

To share that enormous burden of grief and loss Five would do whatever it took.

So he took a deep breath and started,   
"Her name was Delores, we were together for over thirty years..."

 

**October. Pumpkin spice latte**

Fall came, a smell of decay in the air but the world was alive with dazzling colours. 

Five noted how Halloween had become quite a thing during he had been away. The holiday seemed to hold no attraction to any of the Hargreeves: mythical monsters and death had been to close to them for years, had followed them, haunted them, had torn apart what they held dear. There was no celebration or joy to be found in that for any of them.

But Klaus, stronger than ever, brought light in things that had been bitter before. And so one day Five found him holding a cup of coffee that had been suspiciously unguarded held in the hand closest to him. The art on top of it untouched.

Cheer and happiness in this drawing. Five squinted at what seemed to be a...pumpkin riding a broomstick? It was either that or something incredibly rude. 

He glanced up to see whether that mischievous light was dancing in Klaus'eyes, the infectious spark that Five couldn't help but answer with a smile of his own and a shake of his head. 

The brightness in Klaus'eyes wasn't the mirth he was expecting though, it was softer, warm. A small smile as he gently explained that Five had to try the coffee, the addition of spices making the drink a miracle of fall in a mug.

Five snorted at the fanciful description and, humoring Klaus, took a small sip.

Fall had been a wretched season for Five, the start of months of even greater hardship. The world slowly dying around him, bleak, unforgiving, barren. He'd despondently watch for first green of spring as the cold had seeped into his bones, all warmth seemingly have left him , leaving him sore and tired. 

But here, in this unassuming paper cup he found something good. Fall brought the taste of joy, relief, comfort. Warmth and cheer. 

He briefly wondered whether he wasn't projecting everything he found in Klaus' expectant gaze onto the cup. But no, a second sip brought him the same feelings.

The pleased look on Klaus' face as he saw Five's liking it did make the feelings settle in his heart though. 

And in that moment he felt alive and content.

 

**November. Espresso and tonic**

Five wasn't completely clear on how he'd come to lounge on Klaus' bed, but here he was, surrounded by papers and books. Simply allowed to relax, no weight of expectation from anyone. It was an alien feeling, calm, no pressing concerns or problems that needed solving and slowly he felt himself unwind. 

The cup felt cold in his hand as he took it from Klaus' and for a moment he wondered whether it had gone cold. But no, surely not, Klaus had obviously been enjoying it just moments ago. Now he sat cross-legged on a cushion next to the bed, chatting with Ben, his hands gesturing animatedly while he talked. 

Cautiously he took a sip, a complex smoky and sweet mixture cool on his tongue. Bubbly, silky, a hint of the freshness of mint in the familiar taste of concentrated coffee.

It tasted like a good omen, he whimsically thought. A promise of possibilities, a sweet hope sparkling in the shadows of comfort.

With a small but easy smile he took another sip, placing his lips were Klaus' had been. Not so much a missed connection but more of an assurance of many more of these meetings to come.

Enjoying the luxury of time, of taking things slow, he curled up again with his book. Klaus voice a soothing pleasant accompaniment to the quiet and peace in his mind.

 

**December. Eggnog latte**

Five had more or less been ignoring the falling snow, it reminded him too much of the ash that had been in the air for weeks and weeks. He'd covered his face, every breath he took painful after a while, his lungs hurting as the worked too hard to filter oxygen from the dangerous pollution.

The sound of a bright and joyful laughter drew him to the window however and in a flash he was outside, kneeling next to Klaus who was on his back down in the snow.

No blood Five was relieved to see, it seemed like the seance had...just laid down. Klaus was staring up at the grey skies, his eyes seeming even greener offset by the snowflakes in his eyelashes. 

"Beautiful," Klaus breathed and then looked at Five, his expression warm. 

"You'll catch a cold," Five scoffed. Klaus didn't seemed to be chastised in the least, his lips quirked up as he pointedly looked at Five's bare fore-arms and rolled up sleeves. 

Five grouchily picked up the cup of coffee Klaus had abandoned and took a swig. The sweetness of vanilla and cinnamon, and a surprisingly pleasant hint of hot spices. It tasted seasoned, joyful. 

Klaus was still looking at him and Five wasn't sure if the warmth he felt came from the coffee or something else. A something else that sparked, made an unexpected heat rise in him. 

He lifted his face to the skies, the snowflakes cooling on his burning face. 

It was beautiful he supposed, the world seemed muted, soft. Just the two of them. 

 

**January. Coffee peanut butter smoothie with marshmallows on top**

It was a perfect mixture between the comforting flavours of his youth and the more refined tastes of adulthood. For once the drink didn't come in a story bought paper cup. No this was made in their own kitchen. Tailored to Five's favors, no pretense of the drink being there for anyone else but him.

Five surveyed the disaster area that was the kitchen, it was clear that Klaus had experimented with different ingredients.   
But he had experimented with Five's preferences in mind. And the fact that Klaus paid that much attention to what he liked... Five didn't quite know how to describe how it made him feel. To be honest, he didn't know how to describe many of his feelings these days.

What he did know was that he never felt more...right...than in these moments with Klaus. 

It was something good that should be savored, shared.

And not just the drink.

 

**February. Red Velvet Latte**

Five had quite forgotten about the coffee he was holding, his sole attention focused on something far more important and engrossing.

Klaus was baking.

The kitchen warm and cozy. The smells comforting, homey. It felt sweet, joyful. 

He sat on the counter watching Klaus make his heart-shaped cookies. Flour on his cheeks, a frilly apron which suited him surprisingly well. A small frown of concentration on his brow as his long fingers kneaded the dough for the second batch. 

Five laughed, dimples and all, when Klaus futily blew at a curl that kept falling in his eyes. 

Green eyes that fell on the almost empty cup in Five's hand. A pout as he looked up at Five, "I didn't even a get a taste."

And Five, staring at Klaus' soft mouth muttered, "Neither did I."

A fiery blush on his cheeks when he realized he'd said that out loud, his eyes suddenly riveted on the ground. 

His eyes flew up to meet Klaus' as he stepped between Five's spread legs, his big hands warm and sure on Five's thighs. Klaus, biting his lip, pupils blown wide, daring Five to meet him in the middle.

And Five wondered whether it all had ever truly been about coffee.

**Author's Note:**

> (No coffee was stolen while writing this fic, as a matter of fact I don't even like coffee that much. Except for when it's six in the morning, then it's the elixir of life) Un-beta'd, non-english writer.
> 
> Want to chat about these idiots? Come join us at Klive Server on Discord.


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